Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law?

Transcription

1 Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament law? The Answer: The key to understanding the relationship between the Christian and the Law is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments, for example). Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system). Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law. Acts 15:1-2 1.And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. Acts 15: Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20. But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Rom 10:4 Gal 3:23-25, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

2 Eph 2:15 This is the NEW LAW, The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Rom 8: 1-5 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. So, walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, praying in

3 the Holy Ghost. Jud 1:17-21, 17. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 19. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 1Co 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 1Co 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. 1Co 14:6 Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 1Co 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. Christians are under the law of Christ. In place of the Old Testament law, Christians are under the law of Christ (Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.), which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...and to love your neighbor as yourself

4 This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. If we obey those two commands, we will be fulfilling all that Christ requires of us: All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Now, this does not mean the Old Testament law is irrelevant today. Many of the commands in the Old Testament law fall into the categories of loving God and loving your neighbor. The Old Testament law can be a good guidepost for knowing how to love God and knowing what goes into loving your neighbor. At the same time, to say that the Old Testament law applies to Christians today is incorrect. The Old Testament law is a unit. Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Either all of it applies, or none of it 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 1Co 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. Jesus said unto him, Mat 22:37-40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. applies. If Christ fulfilled some of it, such as the sacrificial system, He fulfilled all of it.

5 Obey HIS commands or HIS Sayings. Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (look at all of Mat 5:1 to Mat 7:29) this is all of his sayings. This is the love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome 1.John 5:3. The Ten Commandments were essentially a summary of the entire Old Testament law. Nine of the Ten Commandments are clearly repeated in the New Testament (all except the command to observe the Sabbath day). Obviously, if we are loving God, we will not be worshipping false gods or bowing down before idols. If we are loving our neighbors, we will not be murdering them, lying to them, committing adultery against them, or coveting what belongs to them. The purpose of the Old Testament law is to convict people of our inability to keep the law and point us to our need for Jesus Christ as Savior Rom 7: But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. The Old Testament law was never intended by God to be the universal law for all people for all of time. We are to love God and love our neighbors. If we obey those two commands faithfully, we will be upholding all that God requires of us. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not

6 known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Copyright Notice: Unless specified otherwise, this page and all other pages, are Copyright 1995 to Tom Morgan, All Rights Reserved.Tom and Donna Ministries, with Signs Following. ClearVisionRevival.com